Facebook Deploys a Twitter-Style '@' Tag

Facebook has just introduced the latest feature in its ongoing evolution to blur the lines between social networking and search engine- tags. The new '@' tags allow users to tag other users in posts and integrates a whole new realm of search capabilities.

The new tagging is in posts or status updates, though, rather than images. For example, if I write a post about going to my best friend's wedding, I can tag the post with my best friend's name. The tag will make it easy for other users who read my post to be able to link to and view all other status posts related to my friend no matter who wrote the posts. Its sort of like an instant search function with the tagged friend being the search term. more

Microsoft Testing Bing & Ping

Microsoft has begun inviting Facebook fans to sign up and test a program it calls Bing & Ping, which will let them share what they search for on Bing with friends through Facebook, Twitter, email, and possibly other social sites that are soon to be announced.

Fans will have the opportunity to share restaurant recommendations and local movie times, post a flight status with Facebook friends, and more. Microsoft plans to share more information in the "coming days." more


'Economist' Replaces Local Newsstand With Cellphone


Advertising Age
The Economist is introducing a trial program today that lets New Yorkers use their cellphones to order overnight home delivery of the new issue of the magazine at the regular newsstand price. This is how it works: New Yorkers who have signed up for weekly texts announcing each issue's topics will also receive a URL for a web page they can visit to order the issue. Those who order by 9 p.m. are guaranteed a hand-delivered copy by 6 a.m. the next morning -- in time to beat the commute.

In England, where The Economist first tried the approach two months ago, people who have preregistered can just reply to the text messages to get their overnight copies. The Economist hopes to have that simpler system in place by the time it widens the New York trial to cover the entire U.S. Overnighted copies of the magazine cost $6.99, the same price as the newsstand copies. The Economist says the resulting circulation revenue is just as profitable because the delivered copies don't require giving cuts to retailers or wholesalers. Circulation generated through the cellphone program is likely to remain very small, however. In England, the number of buyers via text has numbered hundreds a week. - Read the whole story...


Print ads that sell

The strategic goal behind every print advertisement is probably a bit different. Some ads are designed to build an image, some are written to drive readers to a website and some announce limited-time offers. But most marketers hope the time, money and creativity that goes into developing their advertising campaigns moves the needle in terms of sales.

Print ads that sell
Print ads that sell

MRI Starch Communications set out to learn exactly what makes a print ad sell.  more


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